McKenzie Ortiz is a mobility advocate and creator of Pedestrian Pride living in Jersey City, New Jersey. McKenzie grew up in Wichita, Kansas, and spent most of her adulthood living in Missouri. McKenzie joins us to discuss the unique ways nondrivers navigate the world life,and relationships, and gives advice on how you can tell your own story.

Follow McKenzie on Instagram and TikTok @pedestrianpride

https://www.instagram.com/pedestrianpride/

https://www.tiktok.com/@pedestrianpride

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to McKenzie's nondriver journey

02:02 The moment McKenzie decided to stop driving

04:13 Overcoming shame and stigma around being a non-driver

08:01 Using social media to build pedestrian pride

10:08 The inspiration behind pedestrian pride and community visibility

14:30 Tips for starting advocacy and social media accounts

17:36 Experiences living in small towns versus transit-rich cities

22:28 Moving to Jersey City and embracing urban transit

24:57 Engagement with local advocacy groups and community work

32:07 Balancing advocacy with personal life and new environments

35:24 The significance of Week Without Driving and community impact

Questions? email [email protected]

nondriver is a production of Nondrivers Alliance. More info: https://nondrivers.org

Hosted by Anna Zivarts and Devin Silvernail. This episode was produced by Devin Silvernail.

Pick up a copy of Anna's book When Driving is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. https://annazivarts.com/